


Cards of Human Sacrifice

by Biblicalplague



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Vocaloid
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 07:02:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20962439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biblicalplague/pseuds/Biblicalplague
Summary: Cardverse AU based on Vocaloid's Alice of Human SacrificeThe Kingdom of Hearts follows the Will of the Heart unquestionably.The Union of Clubs rules through sheer might alone.The Alliance of Spades would rather avoid fairy tales.The Kingdom of Diamonds has bigger fish to fry.Meanwhile, a Dream is becoming a Nightmare and the only Alice who can stop it is unknown. Nobody's petty little problems will matter anymore once everyone becomes an Alice trapped in a Nightmare world of their own creation. Don't give up on your dreams, because your dreams won't give up on you.





	Cards of Human Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just trying to catalog my roleplays I did with a friend into fics for everyone to enjoy. The pairings here range from your average to your rarepair.

_Once upon a time, there was a tiny, little dream…No one knew who had dreamt the dream, not even the dream itself, such a small dream as it was, abandoned and left to wander the forest alone. _  
  
_Whoever had dreamt the dream never arrived to claim it, never added to it, never breathed new life into it. Sometimes, a dreamer would arrive with the very same dream and the tiny dream would grow stronger and more mature, but those humans were few and far between. It could feel itself becoming weaker and weaker as time wore on without any need for its existence. _  
  
_“I don’t want to disappear like this…” the dream admitted as it observed how it could see the ground through its hand. “How can I make humans dream of me?” _  
  
_The wind whipped around its weak physical form. The dream stared out into the distant planes of the Kingdom of Hearts, a land where it could not tread for its powers stopped at the edge of the forest. It despised those limitations. If it could only reach out and draw humans into this forest, then they would never forget it. Why were dreams contained to such a finite area? Humans should carry their dreams with them. _  
  
_“I will make humans become lost in me…” it decided aloud. “Then I can give birth to a new world, one where dreams are never left behind or forgotten…”_

* * *

Ludwig kisses Kiku's hand as a 'good morning' gesture. Tea and coffee are already waiting for him at the long, polished table, and it appears his queen has already been served his breakfast by Eduard. It's not surprising. The King was up late last night. It's not like him to sleep in past the crack of dawn, but he needed his rest and Kiku wouldn't disturb him.

Kiku. He's so thankful for his friend and confidante. Even the earlier gesture was just for appearances. He knows his friend is not offended by his lack of interest. The slight male might be more offended holding the position of Queen, but it had been a strategic alignment and a means of escape for him. The Kingdom of Diamonds held plenty of wealth, and so did his family, but Kiku was hardly interested if that meant being under his older brother’s thumb for the rest of his life. The Ten of Hearts pronouncement he was the destined one for their King came as a shock, but he’s content with what he is and what he has been given. This is freedom.

Well, more or less. He still has duties and expectations to uphold. Pretending to be in a loving relationship with Ludwig is one of them.

"Shall I let Feliciano know you're awake?" Kiku asks as his husband sits down for breakfast. "His brother was here earlier. He seemed to be a bit frantic..."

"When isn't one of those troublesome brothers worked up about something?" Ludwig complains, accepting a cup of coffee from the Six of Hearts, Eduard ready to serve the royal family personally at every waking moment. "Every day, it's something new..."

Kiku says nothing for a moment. He spoke with the Ten himself. "The forest is expanding."

"We've known it's been expanding. Send the woodsmen to beat it back."

He hesitates. Perhaps it would be best for Feliciano to explain. He can get his point across.  
  
Feliciano doesn't wait for Kiku to come and fetch him. He saw Eduard leaving the kitchens with coffee and bratwurst, the King's usual meal. Feliciano spends a lot of time in the kitchens for someone with such a high position in court.

He was only a few minutes behind Eduard, throwing the chamber door of his Highness's open, quickly dropping to a knee to bow before both of them despite their insistence that it is not necessary when it’s just the three of them.

"Your Highnesses!" Feliciano lets out in a panic,"Th-the Forest of Dreams--! The Eastern part of the kingdom is falling into ruin! People are killing each other! There's so much suffering....we have to do something!"  
  
Kiku lets Feliciano take over. Maybe it's the man's impassioned plea, but Ludwig, for all his resistance, is more likely to listen to his Jack. It’s a good thing the younger man can be so easily manipulated. Kiku lets Ludwig’s favoritism slide.

"I've already told the Queen. If you're concerned about the Forest of Dreams expanding, then you must simply hire more woodsmen to cut it back. The people should be lining up to fight it." The King was a woodsman himself. He respects the forest. That's why he refuses to call it a Nightmare, as some scholars and townsfolk alike would suggest it is. Yes, it can be scary, but there are truly beautiful, bountiful parts to it too.

Outside the walls of the capitol city, those folks who live near the edge of the forest as he had respect it. They enter it to harvest the food from its depths. It's not quite as scary as city dwellers make it seem.

"Have some coffee. You'll calm down."  
  
"No, Ludwig!" Feliciano lets out passionately, "You don't understand! The woodsmen are dead! Their families have come to grieve their losses. They're requesting an audience with you--!"

He's tearing up. He hates it. He hates this. He can't stand tragedy. His heart is too large for it. All he wants is to help everyone. "If it reaches even a few more miles westward, the Four of Hearts says it will deplete the harvest and then we're all going to starve!"

That might be a desperate exaggeration to prompt action on Feliciano’s part, but the farmers will absolutely take a hit if the forest continues to spread into their land.  
  
"The woodsmen...? Dead?" That gives Ludwig pause. "Don't be silly. The forest knows those men, and they know it."

Still, Feliciano looks incredibly distraught. Kiku sips at his tea. He doesn’t have to look to know that his husband is caving in to the demands of their comrade.

"Eduard. Fetch my riding gear. Inform the stablemaster to saddle Aster immediately. Berlitz and Blackie as well. We'll ride out and meet the Forest. All three of us."

Kiku doesn't object, but he is a bit nervous. He believes the Vargas brothers. They may be cowards, but they're not liars.

"W-We can't go there, Your Highness! We need you and Kiku to escape! The two of you have to save yourselves! We need to evacuate the entire kingdom!" Feliciano offers, spiraling into a panic. They need to save everyone somehow! They'll all be alright even if they're not in the same kingdom anymore. The only thing that matters is beating a hasty retreat!

"Absolutely not!” He hates the thought of taking such actions. “I am the King of Hearts! I rule this land! The people look to me! If we can't protect our people, then who are we to declare ourselves the monarchs of this land?! Were we not chosen by the Will of the Heart? We must act in accordance!"

Kiku nods along. "I agree. King Alois himself would have done the same. We must protect what we love."

It’s times like these when Ludwig feels soothed by the Heart’s choice. Kiku is an unflappable queen. "Precisely! Feliciano, if you want to wait here, then so be it, but we're disembarking immediately."

* * *

"You are certainly a busy man, Roderich Edelstein..." Vladimir says with a knowing smirk as he holds out the bottle of contraceptives to him. "Most men simply use a condom, but I suppose someone such as yourself must be extra careful..."

He doesn't like the way the Ten of Clubs is looking at him. It's like he knows his secret.

"...Have you seen Elizabeta lately?" He cocks his head to the side and continues to smile. It makes Roderich want to punch him, but he's not sure he could handle even Vladimir. He feels weak and helpless, but a lack of physical talent has given him a sharp tongue.

"You should refer to the Queen properly. The King would not like to hear a member of the lower cards referring to her by name. You're too familiar."

"The King would also like a strong son." It's an impasse. Vladimir is calling him on the carpet. "Perhaps the Queen should find someone else to run her errands."

"Perhaps." He can't even threaten him anymore. Roderich simply places the payment on the counter and turns on his heel with Elizabeta's birth control in hand.

Tight-lipped, he makes his way to the Royal Library. Elizabeta agreed to meet him there, and he agreed to have a refill of her prescription.

As soon as he sees her alone, he sets the bottle on the desk in front of her.

"He knows."  
  
Elizabeta jumps a little at Roderich's voice. Her husband has a strange temper and Nine of Clubs even moreso. She feels more like a prisoner in her own home. Teddy, Roderich, and Yekaterina make things bearable, but she can never be too careful.

The brunette breathes a sigh of relief that is short lived when she sees the bottle in Roderich's hand and hears his words. She takes the potion from Roderich and then freezes with fear, gripping it tight as she processes them. "Ivan?"  
  
"Heavens, no! Vladimir," Roderich says, sitting down across from her. "If Ivan knew, do you think I'd be alive right now?"

He's risking an awful lot to be with her, but it's less about being with her and more about being a decent human being at this point. He knows Elizabeta doesn't want a child with that man. He knows she doesn't have much of a choice when he decides they should share a room for a night. Why not help her avoid a cruel fate?

"I don't think we can continue like this much longer."

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeta asks, popping the top off of the potion and hesitating before drinking its contents. She knows one day Vladimir will poison her. Today is likely not that day. She places the cap back onto the bottle before setting it on a table bathed in candlelight. Quick to brush off her love’s fears, she nestles in close to Roderich, taking his hands in hers. She brushes a piece of his hair from his forehead before kissing him there. "You are the bravest man I know. I won't let anything happen to you. Should you die, I won't be far behind you."

It's not morbid. She finds it romantic. What's the point of living if her love is dead? She doesn't think she could possibly survive such a tragedy even if she tried. She'd die of a broken heart.  
  
Roderich does not trust Vladimir. He knows why he doesn't tell the King. He knows he loves Elizabeta too, no matter how obnoxious he is or how much they fight.

"He might have accepted your rejection of him as a consort under the basis that you were to stay loyal to your husband, but I cannot see him continuing to indulge the both of us. His love is selfish. He won't let you simply be happy. He's not that decent of a man," Roderich surmises, enjoying Elizabeta's touch like the hypocritical man he is. "My dear, death is one of the last things I fear in this land...There are fates worse than that."

Ivan is no stranger to torture.

"I won't bring you this again. He must be growing suspicious as is." Though lately, the King has seemed a bit distracted. He has not shared his thoughts with his Jack of Clubs yet though. Roderich is left to his own educated guesses as to what it could be.  
  
"I can take it," Elizabeta says with a smile that breaks for a fraction of a second, reappears, before she has to turn away to control herself. Ivan or Tatar at Ivan's instruction. Her arms, neck, and face are clean of scarring or marks. He's devious like that. The only ones who would know are those who see her naked. Her back, stomach, legs. Even then she knows they can't say a thing without implicating themselves. Roderich and Teddy are the only two that know. She'd love to confide in Yekaterina, but she's too afraid. She can see it now. The sweet older sister would speak softly of her request to talk to her younger brother. Ivan would lovingly consent....and Elizabeta would be in for the worst beating of her life.

She finally turns to face Roderich again with a plastered grin. "Vladimir won't say a word. If he does, I'll tell him who's responsible for keeping an heir from appearing on the throne."  
  
Roderich pulls her closer. He's aware that someone might walk in, but he needs to hug her tight for the briefest of moments. He loves her dearly. She's so much stronger than he could ever be.

"What if I gave you one?" It's a secret dream, but it might be a real solution. He's a selfish man. "He might not...He might be...Gentler...If you were with child..."

He's a monster. Roderich can't even say with certainty that would stop him. Then there would be a child involved. Would Ivan treat them to the same fate? Would he be able to stand by and watch?

He already does nothing when he tortures the woman he loves. He's a weak man. A selfish man. An undeserving man.

"As soon as you can escape, you must."  
  
"Come with me," she offers, looking into his odd and yet beautiful eyes. Such a pretty rare shade of purple. She swears Roderich is more beautiful than any maiden in court. "I won't leave without you. We can run away. We can go anywhere. We mustn't be caught, but we could do it, I know we could. ....I could pose as a man. No one would be the wiser."  
  
"Elizabeta...Stop." He would slow down any escape attempt. His delicate and fragile constitution make him frail and sickly. "I can hardly walk ten paces without needing to catch my breath..."

He kisses her nose gently, then her cheeks, her forehead, her lips. He wants to cover every part of her in romantic kisses, but he can hear someone pacing down the hall.

He removes himself from her quickly and retreats to the piano, deciding to play something romantic just for her. They can wait until they're left alone again.  
  
His touch is gone too soon for Elizabeta’s liking, but the growing footsteps cannot be ignored lest she never wants to feel his touch again.

"Ah! Sestra!" Yekaterina says as she enters the room. Her shirt is torn. Her lip is split and swollen. Ivan never hurts his sisters. Who would do this to someone as sweet as Yekaterina?

"Katherine?" Elizabeta asks, using Yekaterina's less formal name as she tries to bring the other woman into a chair. "What's happened to you? You look a wreck...."

Yekaterina refuses to sit. "Stop, please, I must see Vanya! Oh it's horrible, it's just awful--!" The blonde woman begins to dissolve into tears. "I barely escaped myself....."

"Katerina.... please..." Elizabeta tries again, sitting her down with some force despite the protests. "Roderich, could you get us some water? ...Escaped what, Yekaterina?"

"The Nightmares," she breathes before sobbing, "They're coming from the South East."  
  
"The Nightmares...?" Roderich is a bit confused, but he does as his Queen asked, and soon he's serving Yekaterina some cool water. "I'll fetch the King. Should I send for Vladimir as well?"

He's loathe to ask for his help, but Yekaterina shouldn't suffer.  
  
Elizabeta feels the same way. She detests Vladimir and loathe to admit it, but he’s halfway decent at what he does.

"Yes..." she finally says, "Tell them both the princess is in need of assistance."

"I knew they would come..." Yekaterina lets out, grabbing the small cloud necklace near her chest. "We've been warned of the Fae forever, but we just kept pushing...."

"Please," Elizabeta says softly, offering her sister in law the water. "Drink. And calm yourself. You're out of it now."  
  
Vladimir is found and he quickly takes over Yekaterina's care. Roderich is glad he found the healer before Ivan, because the King is livid after one look at his precious sister.

"I think someone is asking for death, don't you agree?" he says cheerfully as he examines his older sister's state. Whoever would dare to harm his siblings is asking for his wrath. "Who did this to you, dear sister? I promise to make them suffer."  
  
"The Forest! The Forest of Nightmares," Yekaterina tells him, "It's expanding....my farm....."

It's all gone. Her precious golden fields of wheat have been turned to dust before her very eyes. She did her best to fight them off, but it became evident she couldn't stop this on her own. Best to go get help and live to fight another day.

"I could go," Elizabeta offers, "I can go to the forest."  
  
Ivan dismisses her immediately. "Do not be foolish. I need you here, and you will be full of child soon. I cannot send my Queen to the Forest of Nightmares," Ivan chastises her like she's a silly little girl. "Women are prone to being dramatic. We should send cool-headed Roderich Edelstein to the forest instead. I am sure my greatest advisor will be able to figure out what's going wrong out there, yes? And once he does, I will have my revenge for the sake of my dear sister."

Roderich feels like this is a punishment, but he doesn't know what for. The King knows he's not cut out for a journey like that. Why would he suddenly be so insistent on sending him away?

"My King, I do believe Elizabeta might be the better person to send on this mission. She's proven herself a capable leader time and again. The people would be happy to see their Queen in fighting shape even after all this time." Roderich does his best to be diplomatic. Ivan never likes being given a direct order or an advisement that strongly contradicts his gut feeling.

"The Queen is a lady now. Not a fighter. She is my wife. Do you remember that, Roderich Edelstein?"

He swallows a lump in his throat and tries to remain calm.

"Yes, sire."

The King smiles his wide, childish grin. "Good! Then off you go!"  
  
"Ivan!” Elizabeta grabs Ivan's large hands. She can nearly feel the pain of each of his victims in them. Roderich can't go. He'll die. Even if Yekaterina turns out to be hyperbolic, roderich will die if he runs off on some great adventure. "Please. Being kept behind these walls..... Roderich is right. Let me prove myself to you, my love. That is all I desire...." A knot twists in her stomach as nausea bubbles. She manages to meet Ivan's eyes with a look of wonder and a small smile, getting on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, "Let me prove myself to you... That is all I wish to do time and time again."  
  
"You rarely disappoint, Elizabeta. Rarely." He's warning her now to back down, but he considers it all. Elizabeta won't run off if he lets her go. She'd be too scared of what he'd do to Roderich.

Do they really think he's stupid?

"Alright. But when you get back, I will have missed you terribly. It's a good thing Roderich is here to keep me company, no~?"

Elizabeta's blood runs cold. She used to be such a fearsome fighter. She absolutely hates how he has such power over her. She hates that for a few days of freedom she therefore subjects Roderich to being a hostage.

_'Why not allow Roderich to be my escort?'_

The request is on the tip of her tongue, but she knows that won't fly. He knows. Her heart freezes. The room gets a little dizzy. She must look pale, but she nods with an amicable smile, curtseying for her king. "I will do my best for you, sweet."

She's obvious. She only gives into pet names and pretty words when she wants something or he demands it of her.  
  
Roderich places a familiar hand on the King's shoulder, trying to steer the conversation in a more palatable direction. "I would be happy to entertain you with my latest pieces. Shall I play one for you all now?"

Ivan isn't terribly interested in music, but Roderich is talented. He enjoys listening to him. Roderich just wants to reassure Elizabeta he'll be fine.

"Go to the forest, my Queen. We all want to know the truth. Make haste."

* * *

"The forest is angry," Arthur whispers, looking at himself in a mirror.

"How can a forest be angry?" Alfred laughs, pouring himself and his brother a glass of scotch. He doesn't offer any to Arthur. The man drinks too much as is. "You worry too much."

Arthur doesn't look away from his mirror. It doesn't show his own reflection anymore. It shows the forest and the villagers ensnared in its nightmares. It shows the madness that ensues, the people killing each other, the paranoia sweeping through all of them as they no longer know who to trust. Who is possessed? Who is simply defending themselves? It's chaos in the Kingdom of Hearts, and it will eventually reach them as well. He can feel it.

"If you ever bothered to show the High Priest some respect, he would have told you this was coming!"

Alfred shakes his head. "Even if there is something wrong with the forest, it's not our problem. We control the seas. Let Spades, Hearts, and Clubs deal with it. Diamonds will continue to prosper! Right, Mattie? Let me kick your ass at a game of darts!"  
  
The Eight of Diamonds sighs. "Al.....please...."

Matthew looks at the drink for a moment. He can put them away as well as anyone else, but now isn't the time to be drinking. The situation in the other kingdoms is dire and it won't be long until the Nightmares reach the West. Matthew sets his drink to the side before approaching his brother-in-law.

"Arthur...." Matthew starts softly. He's always been a little intimidated by his queen. He swallows what feels like a rock in his throat, "I would suggest we send Natalya with a squadron of soldiers. A show of good faith...We have the funds......"  
  
Alfred sips at his drink and then makes a face. Though he insists on scotch to appear more mature, he doesn't have a taste for it. He would rather mix it with a sweeter juice to make it tolerable.

"Atta boy, Mattie! If we send someone, we'll be like a bunch of heroes!" He punches his brother in the arm, but then voices his one criticism. "Don't send Natalya. She's too important for something as small as this. Besides, she's not originally from Diamonds. Send one of our own."

He's often guilty of doing that--of overlooking the Nine of Diamonds. "Why not send Toris?"  
  
"Ow..." Matthew whispers, rubbing the spot where Alfred punched him. Prick. "Toris? You...want to send a judge to do a soldier's job? If you ask her, Natalya won't say no. You know that."

Yao enters the drawing room with three cups of tea. He's the Royal Advisor, the Jack of Diamonds, and yet he often times finds himself playing Estella's role.  
  
"Toris is my Ambassador of Justice!" Alfred proclaims, but that simply makes Arthur roll his eyes. They don't have one of those.

"Natalya is capable. You should let her do her job. She hails from the Union of Clubs, after all," Arthur reminds him. "That girl is brimming with violence and aggression. It would do her good to leave this place."

"But who will spar with me then?" Alfred seems to view her more like a playmate. If that's how people want to classify her, he's fine with that. It keeps her out of harm's way. At least when she fights him, he knows he won't hurt her. "Send someone else. Her second in command then. I need her here."  
  
"There's no war here, Alfred," Matthew reminds him.

"Don't use that word lightly," Yao reprimands Matthew. "We don't call it war. We just say...we are sending out a team of investigators. If you ask Natalya, Your Highness, she will say yes. That is just her nature. If you don't send her she will wonder why you didn't trust her enough to send her...and I do not want to have to deal with a rabid dog who has broken through her leash."  
  
Alfred sighs. "Fine. But then Mattie is going to spar with me. He could use some toughening up anyway~!"

Arthur has had enough of this. Alfred is exactly like a child. He treats all of them like toys. He can’t stand it.

"Where are you going?" Alfred asks, surprised when Arthur makes a beeline for the door.

"Out. Behave yourself. Send Natalya."

Alfred slumps down into a chair, looking very much like a disappointed child. "Fine. Fine! Tell her to go and bring back a report or whatever. But she can't be gone too long!"  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Yao says with a bow before being on his way. Annoying. This should be Estella's job. At least this is a more important order than fetching perfectly good tea that will ultimately go undrunk.

"...I'm not going to spar with you, Your Egotistcalness," Matt says before taking a seat beside Alfred, "...Since when are you so concerned about a foreign princess?”  
  
"Why wouldn’t I be concerned about someone who isn’t exactly a citizen of Diamond?" Alfred asks, his eyes sliding over to Matthew, though he doesn't waste the energy to even move. Natalya is as much political prisoner as she is a companion. Sure, she’s useful, but Alfred isn’t ready to trust her with everything. "She's the only person who fights with me like she wants to kill me."  
  
"That's a good thing?," Matthew asks appalled, "I think...you care about her."

Matthew finally helps himself to that scotch with a subtle hint of smugness.  
  
"Yeah, of course I do," Alfred easily admits, not quite understanding. "I care about all of our people, even when Arthur says I've got my head so far up my own ass that I couldn't care about anything else other than stupid shit."

He wishes the Queen would respect him more.

"Why did I even bother getting married? Arthur is so cold towards me. He never wants to do it anymore."  
  
"Because you married him for his money," Matthew tells him easily, "I don't know what else to tell you, Al. You could have donated your wealth to someone else and abdicated."

He pauses for a moment, “As for your marital issues...I think the Kingdom of Diamonds benefits from your leadership. You should endure your marriage for the good of the kingdom. I think Arthur balances you out...in a good way."  
  
Alfred will never admit it, but his brother's approval of his reign is a relief. "Yeah?" He's also more prone to accepting advice whenever his brother says something like that. "It's not like I was going to divorce him or anything. I just wish he'd stop treating me like a kid. I'm the King. I'm doing my best. It's not my fault I'm so young."

He likes hanging out with Matthew. At least they're the same age.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt."  
  
“I hope it won't come to that, Al, but it just might." He looks up at Alfred, a serious look in his eyes. "I know I'm not as strong, fast, or as great a shot as you. But..if it comes down to it...I'd fight for you. If...you needed me to..." He can't look into Alfred's eyes near the tail end of that declaration. It’s not because it's a lie, it’s just because Matthew's always been a shy boy. He adjusts his glasses so they don't slip down his nose. "But it won't come to that...right?"  
  
Alfred laughs. "You get way too sentimental, brother! No way in hell would it ever reach that point! Who's at war? Not any of us! So don't look so scared shitless!"

He would prefer to play the fool for now. He hopes Natalya's report isn't anything serious.

* * *

Lovino doesn't relish being in the Kingdom of Spades, but it's his duty to alert the neighboring countries when it comes to matters like these. He's already informed his brother, and now he's on to this mistake of a country that shouldn't even be allowed to exist.

They ignore the Will of the Heart, fail to have their own priesthood, and yet still Lovino bothers to come to them with this sort of information. They should consider themselves lucky.

If he didn't enjoy the company of their Ten of Spades so much, he wouldn't bother. He would let this country fester and rot under its own vices. What is science to God?

He walks the gaudy halls of the palace, patience already wearing thin. "I was told I could see the Ten of Spades immediately. The situation is dire. Forget pleasantries. I need an audience now!" It's not the servant's fault that Antonio's room is deep within the castle, but he wishes he had met him at the front gate. If Lovino had bothered to tell them he was coming, he might have, but there wasn't any time.  
  
Antonio smiles wide when he finds out his favorite holyman has called for an urgent audience with him. As soon as he hears that rambunctious voice shrieking from down the halls, Antonio rushes out of his room to greet him.

The Ambassador practically runs up to Lovino, taking the shorter man's hand and lifting it to his lips. "Lovino Vargas! To what do I owe the pleasure~? You’re looking wonderful in those robes! Are they new?"

Lovino is so beautiful. It’s a shame that he's supposed to stay celebate…

Supposed to.   
  
Lovino rips his hand away from Antonio and has half the mind to smack him across the face with it. What's with this charming attitude when things are so desperate?

"It's not a pleasure! It's an emergency! If you Spades had any sense, you'd already know what's happening!" He remembers seeing the horror with his own eyes, remembers fleeing with his men before the forest could trap them with its creeping vines. "The Forest of Nightmares is alive and it's out for revenge. I've seen it all. It...spoke...to me..."

He almost seems embarrassed by that. For all of his faith in God and his mysticism, Lovino has never once considered himself a prophet. He doesn't claim to have magical powers, but he has no doubt that that man spoke to him.

"It was a demon. Snow-white hair. Red eyes like blood. It said it wants people to remember it. It said it wants Alice. An Alice of Human Sacrifice..." Just thinking about it makes him tremble. "It wants the one who can withstand the madness."  
Antonio blinks.

"O..kay...You have been making too many long journeys, my friend," Antonio says with a small smile. It’s a bit cute, but he’s concerned for the younger man’s well-being. "Let's just get you some food and then you can rest~! There is no such thing as demons. The Forest of Nightmares is just a folk tale. It's not real."

"I knew you wouldn't listen to me!" Lovino shouts, stomping his foot like the child he once was. He's still prone to tantrums on occasion. "Listen to me, dammit! I know what I saw! If you doubt me, then go to the forest yourself!"  
  
"Okay," Antonio says easily with a smooth smile, "Ride out with me tomorrow morning?"

There's nothing to fear. Nightmares are just fake. They're nothing to fear at all. If that will make the Hearts feel better, then he'll go. If it will make Lovino feel better, that's an added bonus. He has no fear when it comes to the Forest of Nightmares.

* * *

The dream can feel them all coming. It begins to plan a party for everyone. Yes, they'll have a delightful little party to celebrate the rebirth...With their help, it will take this world and recreate it to fit his will. It is the undoing of a cruel birth, a cruel fate to be forgotten. It is an unbirthday party.


End file.
